Byrd adds second SEC offer

The recruiting process is slowly picking up steam for Greensburg (La.) St. Helena athlete Ryan Byrd. Byrd did a little bit of everything for his high school as a junior and was rewarded with a February offer from Ole Miss. He has since picked up offers from Memphis, Minnesota and Western Kentucky. This week the momentum continued with his second SEC offer from Ole Miss rival Mississippi State.

"It feels good," Byrd said of the offer. "It makes it better for everybody else to open stuff up. I'm interested in Mississippi State. I don't really know much about them but I've seen them play a couple of times."

The offer came out of the blue for Byrd. He hadn't talked to any coaches from Mississippi State and actually hadn't received any mail from the program either until a fax came into his coach with the scholarship offer.

While Mississippi State hasn't even come through to visit, Byrd has hosted plenty of college visitors this spring. Among those visitors have been Tulane, Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Tulsa, Nebraska, UL-Lafayette and Troy. Schools as big as Notre Dame have been calling to inquire about Byrd too. More have plans to catch Byrd in his spring game, adding extra motivation for an already heavily anticipated day.

"I'm ready to put on a show," he said of the game this weekend. "I'm putting on a show for the coaches and for my brother too. He goes to North Alabama and he'll be down this weekend."

Asked what schools he would like to hear from, Byrd lists Arkansas, TCU and Tennessee. The communication with the three has been limited up to now but with his junior film now in their hands, things could soon pick up.

This summer, Byrd will be camping at LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State and also plans on working out in Florida and continuing to do 7-on-7 work with his teammates. His team will be looking to the all-around athlete to do some big things in the fall and he is doing his part to get ready for those expectations.

"I feel like I've gotta be more responsible than I was last year," he said. "I've gotta be a leader for the younger guys. I'm going to be a starter at receiver and safety so I have to get in shape."